The Somerville Winter Farmers Market is establishing alternative methods for keeping itself operating through the 2020-2021 season.

By Anqi Zhang

Entering its 11th year, the popular Somerville Winter Farmers Market (SWFM) at the Center for Arts at the Armory will be welcoming the community this winter from December 5, 2020, to April 10, 2021, with no market on December 26, 2020. The market is set to conduct online pre-orders along with a traditional live-shopping component while navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Emily Reckard-Mota, the new manager of SWFM, and her team has been working on exploring alternatives for in-person shopping since the summer. For the time being, SWFM has decided to operate in three forms – online pre-order shopping, indoor shopping at ROOTED Cafe and Farmstand at the Armory and outdoor shopping at the parking lot.

Most of the market will be operated through their online pre-ordering option, Reckard-Mota said, and she encouraged people to shop online to avoid lining up in the cold. Customers can make online orders among 35 to 40 market vendors from Sunday to Thursday, and then pick them up in person inside the main hall at the Armory on Saturdays between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. There will also be a curbside pickup option for customers.

SNAP and HIP customers can shop online as well by clicking the SNAP/HIP payment button, and then finish the payment in person at the SNAP/HIP booth when picking up the orders.

ROOTED Cafe and Farmstand, which opened at the Armory this summer during the pandemic, has been expanded to include products from SWFM vendors. The farmstands will still be there during the farmers market season. It’s also a go-to for customers to enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner.

To satisfy customers who enjoy directly interacting with local farmers and miss the warm and cozy SWFM atmosphere, Reckard-Mota and the team are working on setting up an outdoor market from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays. If the city approves it, there will be 12 to 15 vendors in the Armory’s parking lot. 

Due to the pandemic, farmers markets have not always done so well. Several of them, including Cambridge Winter Farmers Market, were closed until further notice. SWFM, as a survivor, has also experienced bumps along the way. “We were at a point that we were really trying to figure out if we were going to have to cancel it or not. And I think we really pushed through that and really tried to figure out a way to make this work,” Reckard-Mota said.

For Reckard-Mota, who stepped into her position just three months ago, supporting SWFM is not only about taking care of local farmers and venders who are making a living through the pandemic, but also about helping SNAP and HIP users. Thanks to the grant they received from the Farmers Market Coalition, SWFM is able to offer a $15 match for SNAP customers. “This is one of the few places, especially in the winter, that will do that,” she added. “You can’t go to the grocery store and use HIP.”

SWFM is currently looking for volunteers for Saturdays. You can subscribe to their weekly newsletter to learn more about SWFM.